Can't Fight the Feeling
by Cassidy Alice
Summary: He grinned as he extended his hand to her. "Would you like to dance?" Katara smiled. How could she possibly refuse? The music was calling and she couldn't fight the feeling any longer.


Disclaimer: I own nothing :(

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**Can't Fight the Feeling**

Katara sat all alone at the table, her feet tapping in time to the rhythmic music that orchestra played as her eyes followed the couples twirling on the dance floor. The ballroom at the Fire Nation palace was brimming with aristocrats, nobles and government officials, and ordinary citizens. The occasion for the festivities had long ago slipped her mind but as the orchestra struck up a new tune and several young girls at the next table began singing the lyrics, she remembered Mai telling her something about the Autumn Festival or some other seasonal holiday. Katara was suddenly thankful that Mai and Suki had insisted on her wearing a red dress instead of the blue gown her grandmother had sent her; though she loved that gown, she would have been the only blue amid a sea of red, orange, and yellow. Thinking of Mai and Suki made her wonder where they were. Toph had long ago abandoned Katara and had disappeared to some remote corner of the palace where the vibrations ceased to annoy her. Sokka had surprisingly left his seat near the buffet line and had whisked Suki away to dance, but Katara had only seen them waltz past her once before they had disappeared into the crowd.

Finding Mai and Zuko had been a different story. The newly appointed Firelord and Firelady had spent most of the evening socializing with the nobles and occasionally discussing with the government officials. Katara knew Mai hated the socializing part, but whenever she saw Mai, the Firelady had a look of feigned interest plastered on her face as she pretended to listen to the officials. Of course, when they started discussing politics and tactics with the Firelord, Mai had quietly slipped away, intent on disappearing into the courtyard, but several noblewomen stopped her and began talking to her. Once again, the look of feigned interest worked its way across her face until gradually it was replaced with a look of sheer boredom. Katara debated whether or not to help her out by pretending to talk to Mai, but she thought the better of it and decided to help Mai in a different way. The next time the waiter came around bringing various drinks, Katara bent some water from the cups and onto the gown of one of the noblewomen. She gave an exclamation before disappearing into the crowd to find a towel and the conversation fell apart without her.

_Thanks_, Mai mouthed before disappearing once more to find Zuko. Katara smiled and watched her leave. As soon as Mai disappeared from sight, Katara got up and made her way through the crowd. With Toph gone, Sokka and Suki dancing, and Mai and Zuko socializing, that left only Aang for her to find. She threaded her way through ministers, officials, nobles, merchants, anyone and everyone, but she found no sign of the airbender. The last time she had seen him had been just a few minutes before the event started, when she and Sokka had been helping Zuko set up for the ball. Since then, she hadn't even spoken two words to him. Frowning a bit, she made her way to the courtyard, but he wasn't there either. Shrugging to herself, she returned indoors and sat back down at her table and once again found her feet tapping in time to the music as the dancers waltzed past her. She briefly saw her brother dance past her with Suki whose face was flushed red from dancing and laughing.

Katara suddenly wished she was dancing. She didn't consider herself to be a great dancer, but she enjoyed dancing and the music was infectious. She scanned the crowd, surprised by the lack of good dancers. All the young men that she saw seemed to have two left feet and kept stumbling and tripping over their partners' feet.

"May I have this dance?"

Katara looked up to find a handsome young man holding out his hand to her. She bit her lip. She _did_ want to dance, just not with him. But the music was calling to her so finally she gave in as the young man led her onto the dance floor. At first, it wasn't so bad; her partner seemed like a talented dancer. But after five minutes, he stumbled and stepped on her toes (not once but seven times) and had nearly dropped her. So as soon as the song was over, Katara hurried off the dance floor despite the protests of the young man.

She found her seat at the table and once again set herself to watching all the dancers. Every now and then, a young man would offer her to dance, but she politely turned him down. She had more than enough of being stepped on and nearly dropped. So she was content to just sit and watch the others. And when she got bored of that, she listened to others talk around her. The conversations weren't every interesting, but it was better than doing nothing. Most conversations revolved around pleasantries or (if it was women talking) the latest fashions, but the conversation at the next table caught her attention. Several young women about her age had suddenly gotten excited over something.

"Look," one girl cried, raising a heavily jeweled hand to point to a figure in the crowd. "It's the Avatar!" Katara followed her gaze and sure enough, she found the airbender talking to a young woman.

Another girl sighed, "Isn't he handsome?"

Katara choked back a laugh.

"Do you think he'll ask us to dance?" another girl asked, applying another coat of makeup on and fluffing her curls. The others at her table burst out giggling and whispering amongst each other. Katara rolled her eyes and sighed. Sometimes, she honestly wondered…

Her thought process was interrupted as the girls suddenly started squealing.

"Oh look, he's coming this way."

"He's going to ask me to dance," one sighed.

"No, he's going to ask _me_."

"He is not!"

"How would you know?"

And the two girls set to fighting amongst themselves. Katara frowned at them. When she turned around, Aang was standing in front of her, his hand extended, and a grin on his face.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked. "You seem to be having _so _much fun."

Katara became aware that the girls at the next table had fallen silent and were gaping at her. She grinned as she stood up and followed the Avatar onto the dance floor.

"I can't believe he asked her," she heard one of them hiss. "She's not even rich."

"I bet she doesn't even want to dance."

The last statement wasn't true, though Katara couldn't argue with the previous one. She _did_ want to dance, more than anything, just not with any of the people she saw.

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"So," Sokka said, as he and Suki joined Aang and Katara at their table hours later. "How was your evening so far?"

Aang shrugged. He had spent the better part of the evening trying to get to Katara, but he had always been stopped. "Okay, I guess. Yours?"

Sokka leaned back in his chair, took a sip of his drink, and smiled. "Great. I don't know whether it's the music or Suki, but I feel like I could dance all night." Suki laughed and blushed.

It's the music, Katara thought. The melodic, lively, harmonic rhythms of the Fire Nation that made her want to dance until she couldn't dance anymore.

"Oh, look," Sokka cried, jumping up. "A new song."

"You could just say no," Katara pointed out as Suki was dragged onto the dance floor.

The Kyoshi warrior grinned slyly. "I never said I wanted to stop, did I?"

Katara watched them go, shaking her head. "Sometimes, Sokka can be so strange."

"Do you want to dance?" Aang asked, noticing her foot was tapping out in time to the music. Anytime he had glanced at her, her feet were always moving up and down, matching the rhythm.

Katara's eyes sparkled and she grinned. She was acutely aware of the gasps of horror coming from the girls at the next table as Aang led her onto the dance floor once again.

"Avatar Aang," said one girl, getting up and greeting him. "We- my friends and I- were wondering if you needed a dance partner."

Katara started laughing, but when the girl glared at her she pretended to have a violent coughing fit.

"Sorry," Aang said smiling apologetically and referring to Katara. "But I already have a partner."

"Oh," she replied, her eyes narrowing when she noticed the young waterbender in the background. "I see."

"You know," she said as they began twirling again. "I don't think they like me."

"Who?"

"Those girls at that table. They were convinced you were going to dance with them."

He shrugged. "I wonder what gave them that idea."

"I can think of a few things," she laughed.

"Why would I dance with them? I don't even know them. Besides," Aang grinned, launching her into a new dance reminiscent of the dance they had done together at the party they had thrown for those Fire Nation children years ago. "Could they do this?"

Katara grinned as the familiar tune started playing. "No," she agreed. "They probably couldn't." And as they danced, she was struck with a sudden realization. The only thing she liked better than dancing, was dancing with Aang.

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_I'm hooked on a feeling a natural high  
You better believe it and the reason why  
It's a thing called love  
It makes me feel so alive  
And I can't fight the feeling_

~Celine Dion, Can't Fight the Feeling

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Please review :)

~Cassidy Alice


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